Mazda 6 review: Japan's Passat rival

Few family cars are as stylish or efficient as the Mazda 6

These days the most popular family saloons tend to be premium-badged
models from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but the
Mazda 6 shows
there's still a place for a stylish and well equipped mainstream alternative.

It's available with a range of engines that are both powerful and
efficient for their size, and will be cheap to run as a company car.

But the 6 has been around in this form for a while now, and in that
time, new versions of the FordMondeo and
Volkswagen Passat
have both arrived on the scene and put it under pressure.

Space

Lots of legroom, but rear headroom is a little tight

The Mazda 6 is a long car, which allows it to offer more legroom than
premium-badged alternatives, such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series.
Unfortunately, taller adults may well find they have to slouch a bit
when sitting in the back of the 6 due to its rakish roofline.

Boot space is harder to fault; there’s more than enough room for a
couple of large suitcases, and the rear seats lie pretty much flat
when folded down. That said, the boot opening is smaller than a Ford
Mondeo’s, simply because the 6 is a saloon instead of a hatchback.

There’s plenty of in-car storage, including deep door bins, a
good-sized glovebox and a central lidded box between the front seats.

Dashboard layout

A large speedo that you can read at a glance is positioned directly
in front of the driver, and most of the other controls on the
dashboard have been well thought-out, too.

The touchscreen mounted on top of the dashboard is also clear and
easy to use, though it has an irritating habit of becoming
unresponsive if you haven't touched it for a certain amount of time.

You then have to 'wake it up' by using the rotary controller Mazda
has fitted between the front seats. Fortunately, you can control most
of the touchscreen's functions through this, too, if you so wish.

It might take you a bit of time to get used to the fact that the
volume control is down next to this rotary controller, though.

But with the exception of these minor gripes, the 6 is easy to get
along with; what's more, smart materials and nicely damped controls
make it feel classy inside.

Easy to drive

Mazda offers the 6 with a pair of 2.0-litre petrol engines and a pair
of 2.2-litre diesels, and it’s the diesels that suit it best because
you don’t have to work them as hard.

The weaker of the two diesels is particularly good; while it’s
ultimately slower, it pulls strongly almost regardless of the gear
you’re in, whereas the more powerful diesel requires extra gearchanges
to keep it in its sweet spot.

Both diesel engines and the weaker of the two petrols can be
specified with an automatic gearbox; you might want to go down that
road if you find changing gear a chore, because the manual gearstick
is quite stiff.

It’s easy to see out of the front of the 6, but your rear view is
quite limited due to a shallow rear window. The front and rear parking
sensors - standard on the mid-spec SE-L model upwards - are very
welcome, and if you can stretch to Sport Nav specification, you'll get
a reversing camera too.

Fuel economy

Close to the very best

There was a time when the Mazda 6 was head-and-shoulders above the
rest of its competitors for fuel consumption, but the rest of its
class has now caught up.

That's not to say that the 6 is falling behind, mind you; with a
figure of 68.9mpg, the entry-level diesel model is still as economical
as the equivalent VW Passat, and
more so by a whisker than a similarly-powered Ford Mondeo.

That said, there are more efficient versions of the Passat, Mondeo
and other rivals available with smaller, less powerful engines; an
option not available to 6 buyers.

And you must stick with the standard manual gearbox if fuel economy
is a high priority; diesel versions of the 6 average a much less
impressive 58.9mpg when fitted with the optional automatic.

Safety

Lots of standard safety kit, with the option for more

Every version of the 6 comes with front, side and window airbags, and
a stability control system that helps to prevent you sliding off the
road. Meanwhile, SE-L models and above also have a city collision
avoidance system; this automatically applies the brakes if it looks
like you’re going to run into the car in front in slow-moving traffic.

Adult occupant protection was found to be particularly good when the
car was crash tested by independent safety specialists Euro NCAP.
However, the 6's child protection score is bettered by many small
hatchbacks, including the Mazda3.

Standard spec

Most things you’ll want are standard

There are two main specification levels - SE and SE-L - each
available in a Nav variant, which adds an integrated satellite
navigation system. At the top of the range, meanwhile, is the plush
Sport Nav.

SE cars come with cruise control, air-conditioning, a Bluetooth
hands-free phone connection and a socket that lets you connect an iPod
to the stereo.

We’d upgrade to the SE-L model, though, because this brings those
all-important parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers and
additional safety kit.